The old home phone is becoming obsolete. Many people are cancelling their landlines and relying on cell phones alone. But Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phones are cheaper, plus in most cases you get to keep your old phone number. VOIP phones use high-speed internet. The service is carried through your internet connection. You’ll need broadband internet (cable or DSL) and a phone or phone adapter. Then make calls as normal—but for less money!

The main disadvantage of VOIP is that it relies on your internet connection. If your connection is down, for example in a power cut, you’ll have no phone access. And a bad connection can result in fuzzy or dropped calls. But if your electricity supply is reliable and internet connection is good, then VOIP should work for you.

Once you’ve decided that VOIP is the way to go, research your options thoroughly. Finding the best VOIP home phone provider can be daunting, but doing some research now will save you money. You can start right here: this article reviews the main VOIP providers: Vonage, Comwave, Yak, Primus, G3 Telecom, and ZiDVOX.

Make sure you know what you want from your new home phone. Investigate the features you’ll need, and don’t get carried away with ones you won’t actually use. For example, if you make a lot of international calls, make sure you choose a reliable company which offers good rates to the country you call.

Details to consider include:

Billing. Will you be billed by the minute? The second? What is the refund policy? Will you only be given credits, instead of cash refunded onto your credit card? Will you have to sign a long contract? If so, what are the penalties for breaking it? Do they offer “unlimited” service? If so, find out what the limit actually is: number of calls, or amount of minutes.

Contracts. Will the contract be automatically renewed? If so, make sure you note the day on your calendar because you may find yourself facing another monthly bill. Read all the terms and conditions before signing up to a service and committing yourself. If possible, get the company to send the details, rather than relying on a phone conversation, particularly if the salesperson is offering a deal which is not on the website.

Reviews. Read customer reviews, as well as the company’s own websites. And make sure you read recent reviews. Problems which customers complained about in the past may have been fixed.

Here are the VoIP Home Phone Comparisons

Vonage

Vonage was a VOIP pioneer, and is now one of the largest providers. It has a good reputation for reliability, and offers a wide range of options.

You may be able to keep your existing phone number.

There are several residential and world plans, which you’ll choose based on your calling profile.

Calling plans

The basic U.S. & Canada Unlimited plan with a one-year contract is $9.99 per month for the first three months, then rises to $24.99 per month, plus taxes and fees. This plan offers free shipping and free activation. This plan includes:

Unlimited local and long distance calling in Canada, the U.S., and Puerto Rico

Option to choose up to five other numbers in these countries to ring when your Vonage number is called

If you choose the Basic 911 service, and call 911, the local operator might not see your number and address, which you’ll have to provide before help can be dispatched. You can upgrade to Enhanced 911 for a fee.

Customer service

Vonage has a good reputation for excellent customer service. The website has a great FAQ, too.

Setup

Setting up is easy. Connect the phone adapter Vonage provides with your high-speed internet connection, and connect your existing phone to the adapter. You can connect your account to your cell phone, too. The first extension is free, others are $4.99 per month.

Disadvantages

Vonage charges a setup fee and requires a yearly contract for many of its options. Opting out of the contract results in a cancellation fee. The unlimited calling depends on the number of unique numbers called, minutes used, and other factors. In other words, it is not unlimited.

Comwave

Comwave is the largest VOIP provider in Canada, and they offer aggressive pricing. Comwave offers a variety of services: home, business, and internet.

You can keep your existing phone number at no charge with Comwave.

Calling plans

There are various plans you can subscribe to. The Basic Plan is $14.95 per month, for no contract, or $9.95 per month for a three year contract. The plan includes:

Unlimited local calls

Free long distance calls to Comwave customers

30-day customer satisfaction guarantee

Caller ID block (the enhanced plan has 14 free features)

You can also get a toll-free number for 99¢ per month. And Comwave offers a CityFree number, which for $4.95 per month you can add on. This in effect gives you a local number to the city you choose, so people calling you don’t pay long-distance charges.

The long distance bundles are varied. What you choose will depend on your calling profile. For example, with Global 1000 you get 1000 minutes to certain countries for $10 per month.

Emergency 911

Comwave uses a third-party service. You will have to provide your address and phone number to the operator before help can be dispatched; however, you can update your 911 address online, in your Comwave “My Account”.

Customer service

There’s an extensive FAQ on Comwave’s website, plus Canadian and international numbers.

Setup

You can connect to either a cable high speed internet or DSL high speed internet. Comwave has clear installation videos on their website. There is no charge for the hardware, just a $50 refundable deposit.

Disadvantages

Unused minutes from the long-distance plans can’t be carried over into the next month.

Yak

Yak has been around for over 12 years, owned by the privately-owned Canadian-based Globalive since 2006. There are no contracts with Yak.

You can keep your existing phone number.

Calling plans

There are several digital home phone plans. The basic plan is currently $9.50 per month and includes:

You will have to provide your address and phone number to the operator before help can be dispatched.

Customer service

Yak has 100% Canadian customer service.

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Setup

You can purchase or rent the hardware. Connect your modem to your regular phone with the Cisco ATA box.

Disadvantages

The 200 free minutes for the basic plan is very low. “Unlimited” Canada and U.S. minutes are $17.95 per month for 1500 minutes. International rates vary. And though transferring your existing number to Yak is free, Yak charges an activation fee for a new number.

Primus

Primus offers internet and phone services. They won the Consumer Choice Award in 2013.

You can keep your existing phone number if you’re within serviceable areas.

Calling plans

The basic digital plan is the Basic Home Phone which is $9.95 per month for a two year contract, with the first three month free. It includes:

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